Waypoints – December 3, 2006

Welcome to Waypoints — shorts from the past week. I’ll start out noting the GPS reviews that I’ve updated this week.

• Garmin nuvi 660 review – Here’s a nuvi 660 review from a motorcyclist’s perspective.
• Garmin zumo 550 review – I’ve linked to some tips on zumo routing and audio capabilities from the  Garmin blog.
• Garmin StreetPilot c530 review – I’ve updated this post with a review from the Prius Owners Group.
• TomTom ONE review – From Ireland, SiliconRepublic.com posts a TomTom ONE review.

GPS Hardware

• Point your GPS and have it tell you what you are looking at. Via Digg.
• Is Garmin getting out of the PDA business?
• Live in the UK? Win a Garmin nuvi 360.
• BusinessWeek looks at six GPS receivers on holiday wishlists – the TomTom ONE, Mio DigiWalker, HP iPaq rx5915, Garmin StreetPilot c550, TomTom GO 910, and the Magellan RoadMate 2000.
• Here is a comparison of the five models of the Garmin Forerunner series.
• News of a way to maintain coverage without satellites, but there are other ways to do this already. And u-blox has just released a new GPS module with dead reckoning capability.

Data, traffic, software…um…anything that’s not hardware

• Traffic reports (TMC) may be available for TomTom in the U.S. soon.
• Garmin has posted an updated version of MapSource, and new firmware for the StreetPilot 2820, nuvi 300/350 and GPSMAP 76. Via Allory.
• NAVTEQ has initiated a program, called Direct Access that allows retailers to include all their locations as POIs.
• I have added TrailPeak.com and Vietnam GPS’s list of GPS map resources to my GPS data search engine.

Geocaching

• Here is a tutorial on paperless geocaching.
• Geocaching on YouTube. Via the Garmin blog.
• And here’s a geocaching tangent – skiocaching.

GPS and cell phones

• Coming soon to a cell phone near you: GPS romance.
• Try a GPS cell phone navigation solution for 60 days without charge.

GPS in the news

• You can’t always trust your GPS.
• I’m so sick of reading about MyLaptopGPS; this is not GPS!
• Paper map makers put their best face on the GPS revolution. Or is it just denial?
• GPS walking tours of Paris.
• A lot of GPS receivers will be given this holiday season, but this one is special.
• In-car gaming and GPS.
• Some detail on the Minnesota law that forbids windshield mounted GPS. I wonder how long before I get busted for it here in California!
• Got a story for Garmin?
• GPS Tracking Systems covers a story on GPS tracking of employees in Canada.
• An Islamic website is publishing Technical Mujahid Magazine with a goal assisting the mujahideen. Part of the focus is on GPS. Via Digg.

Google

• Meanwhile, Hezbollah has access to better imagery than can be found on Google Earth.
• How Google Maps push pins are made. Via The Map Room.
• It’s got nothing to do with GPS, but here’s a link to mashups for ski and snowboard season.